The Washington critic., 1887-10-14
" ASHINGTON CRITIC
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

the press TO the effect that Mrs. Frances
Hodgson Burnett. the au,horess, has
become addicted TO the vice of cigarette
smoking, and the New York Gnphic
says the author of the yarn ought to be
prosecuted for slander. Mrs. Burnett
Is true English American woman, aud
her brain has never been clouded by the
fumes of tobacco In any shape. A few
women smoke cigarettes, but they, like
the average small boy, are In Ignorance
Of the pernicious effects of It, They
use the tobacco and paper authorizations
through the mistaken idea that by 50
doing they not only kill time but soothc
their nerves. Many of the sex use beer
for similar reasons The author of
THAT Lass o. Lowrie's" Is so old fash
Toned and staId as to be almost puri-
tunical, and In this wide world there Is
moi greater advocate Of all that Is good
and true, Her early training In the
mountains of Eastern Tennessee had
great deal to do with molding her fu.
ture, and cigarette smoking was not n
part or parcel of her training. Mrs.
Burpett is womanly woman.
~.
With the majority of foreigners
nothing but personal experience can
convince them that they are not SUI
perior to Americans, says Major Davis
In his last Washington letter to the
Minneapolis Tribune A few months
since was introduced 10 an unusually
intelligent lady, the wife Of high.
salaiied envoy extraordinary and min.
lister plenipOtentiary, not long In this
country, who had really worked her.
self up to believe that we havscom.
raraliv,ly few cultivated people who
were educated here. why" said
she "when | meet - bright, pretty.
pood.mannered American girl-one
who has easy control of her own Lam
guage, with fair knowledge of
French and German, know before
she informs me that her education, as
yon call 1t, was finished In Europe.
She has lost the coarse vulgarisms of
the schools aud society in which she
grew up, and has taken on the more re.
fined ones of which many foreign
capital can boast. The same may be
said of older persons of both sexes.
True politeness and gentility are by
fur more common In Europe than
America" She afterward admitted
that from what she had seen here our
people are more practical; more for
business and less for show than any
nationality she is acquainted with.
Most of the young ladies' reared aud
educated In what she termed re.
iinement-who are taught to write
and speak the most generally ac
cepted modern languages; who must
sing according to the whims aud
notions Of some psthetical teacher; who
must be Italian In their ideas of paint
ing and sculpture, and exceedingly
Frencby In their manners, but who can
never know, or at least are never
taught, the more practical and useful
branches of woman's education kno gn
and valued by the true housewife,
would make poor wives for the average
business American; but still she
thought the woman who can entertain
faultlessly and he most attractive In so.
Ciety circles, comes the nearest to act
Ing woman's part In the great drama
of life. And that Is what thousands
of mothers in Europe, living In the
higher walks of life, are anxious their
daughters should become-not good
housekeepers, economical wives. but
elegant entertainers, notable society
women. But l think that in the long
race of life we can give the girls
thus brought up good start,
and then our American girls will dis
tance them. Why, one of the best
educated young ladies In this CITY.
belonging to one of our wealthiest
families, who had every desire gratiIied
but who was not educated abroad
because she senslbly concluded that
American schools are every whit as
good as European, Is taking practical
lessons IN one of our schools OF cookery
and dressmaking. And what m eX
ample for poorer young ladies-,hose
who really need the knowledge there
TO be gained. but are too proud tn have
1t known that they are seeking It,
Such young lady is worth more tc
the rising generation than hundred OF
your educated abroad ones, or than al
the society votaries you could find time
to name. What We want In this country
Is less aping after foreigners--less Of
the English, you know"-and more
of the American. Europeans never
come here to learn Of us; why SHOULD
we go to them or copy after them
They can excel us In nothing, unless Il
be egoiism.
~
Says the Cincinnati Enquirer: TIL,
President has travelled 1900 miles. Ill
has crossed the States of Maryland
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illlnoi
and Wisconsin and tarried in the hi.
cities Of Missouri. He has shaker
hands with 100000 people. He ha
addressed and been heard by 500,00t
persons. He has seen 1000, 900 men
women and children He has reviewed
forty miles of professions. He has bee'
told In four different speeches tha
these United States are distinct a
the pillows, yet one as the sea. III
has seen miles of bunting and decora
tions purchased with money
raised by assessments of Fedora
officials, and never rGbuked 1t once
He has seen eleven hundred mottoe
telling him that "a public office IL I
public trust" He has seen policemen
and fire engines until 1t must seem I,
him in his midnight dreams NJ If thu
world were In danger of conilagratlon
or all mankind wanted to go to Jail
He has seen 90 600 militiamen will
guns in their hands. lie has enjoye,
the sweet incense of popular applaus
and approval, and he has been chas
tened and warned by the haught.
presence of the people.
8. 90 nnd ss.4O.